


A Wedding and a Welcome Home

by Alexis_Tenshi



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Reunions, Team as Family, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 03:51:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20576003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexis_Tenshi/pseuds/Alexis_Tenshi
Summary: Hotch wasn’t sure that going to Rossi’s wedding was a good idea. He’d been invited, of course. But it’d been years since he’d seen anyone from his old team. Would his presence really be welcome, or would it be a distraction from the celebration? Eventually, his son convinced him to go. Hotch had Jack to thank for what might prove to be one of the best decisions of his life.





	A Wedding and a Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

> This mostly follows canon all the way up until Rossi’s wedding (end of season 14) where I diverge it.

“You should go to Dave’s wedding.”

Jack’s voice broke Aaron from his thoughts and he looked up at his son. He absently lamented that Jack had dropped calling anyone not actually related to him his ‘Uncle’. It’d been adorable while it lasted. But Jack was old enough now to be embarrassed by the practice, so Aaron hadn’t commented on the change.

Aaron also hadn’t mentioned to Jack that he’d been invited to David Rossi’s wedding. But Aaron had been staring at the invitation long enough that he’d lost track of time, and not even noticed when his son came into the room. The card was on thick white paper with gold embossed lettering and lying in plain sight on the table. Dave and Krystall’s names requesting Aaron’s presence at their wedding was clear and obvious. Aaron couldn’t deny it, even if he’d wanted to.

“I don’t know. It’s been a long time and I’ve got a lot going on here right now,” Aaron protested.

“No offense, Dad, but that’s bul....not true,” Jack responded; just barely catching himself before saying the word he knew his father disapproved of his using.

Aaron shook his head slightly. He was raising a teenager now and had been for a few years. But sometimes he still thought of Jack as a little boy. That near slip up, as well as how perceptive Jack was, were good reminders of just how grown up he was now. Aaron was exceedingly proud of the man Jack was becoming. But sometimes he still missed the cute little guy he’d been. Jack wasn’t going to be easily distracted by an offer of ice cream or a change of subject now. Aaron had to give his son an honest answer.

“You know it’s been years since I’ve seen anyone from the BAU,” Aaron offered as explanation. “I appreciate the invitation, but I’m not sure if my presence there would be a good idea. I don’t want to be a distraction. Dave and Krystall deserve their big day without me around dredging up old memories.”

Jack sighed and actually rolled his eyes at Aaron.

“Dad, I think we both know you miss them. We both know you want to see them. And we both know the real reason you’re hesitating to go. It’s the same reason you haven’t gone back anywhere near DC since we first went into WITSEC, even though it’s been safe for years. And it’s why we’re always ‘too busy’ whenever anyone from the BAU offers to visit us here.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows at his son in surprise, but didn’t say anything in response.

“It’s because you’re worried that if you see them, you’ll be tempted to rejoin the team,” Jack stated plainly and with devastating accuracy.

Aaron inhaled sharply at the revelation. It was almost concerning how easily Jack could read him. Aaron had been a master at masking his emotions and expressions thanks to his job. He’d _had_ to be. But since he’d permanently left the BAU, he’d tried to break himself out of the habit. He’d tried to be more open and accessible, especially to Jack. It’d taken time and a lot of effort, but Aaron was glad he’d succeeded. His son deserved to be able to see how his dad felt. Even if it sometimes resulted in uncomfortable discussions like this one.

“I promised you I was done,” Aaron stated firmly. “It’s a promise I intend to keep.”

Jack winced with obvious guilt. Aaron hated to see that. He didn’t regret the promise he’d made. His son deserved a life without the fear and danger that Aaron’s job had caused him.

When he’d first agreed they go into WITSEC, Aaron had fully intended to rejoin the BAU once the threat to his son was over. But he hadn’t counted on how badly going into witness protection would affect his son. He should have. The last time Jack had gone into WITSEC it had ended with his mother being killed.

Jack had been so young then that he’d barely remembered being in witness protection with Haley, Aaron had thought. But entering WITSEC again had brought back a lot of the memories for Jack. They were indistinct and muddled memories, but the feelings behind them were clear. Jack had become terrified. He’d started having nightmares and panic attacks. At times, he’d starting crying and clinging to Aaron, unable to let his father be out of his eyesight even for a moment.

So Aaron had made the choice that he couldn’t do this to Jack anymore. He’d resigned from the BAU and promised Jack to never rejoin the team. He’d kept to that promise since. 

The first year was easy, or as easy as it could be under the circumstances. They’d been forbidden contact with anyone from before they entered protection, and they’d stuck to those rules. Once Peter Lewis was dead and the threat was over, it’d gotten harder to keep that promise.

Aaron was relieved they were safe from Lewis permanently, of course. He was happy to be able to talk to his former team mates again. But every time he spoke to them, it was a challenge to not be drawn back into their world and their work. So Aaron always kept the conversations brief. He always changed the subject or said he ‘had to go’ if they brought up a case. Soon enough they got the hint. Calls became fewer and further between.

That had hurt, of course it had. They had been his family. He cared deeply for them all. He wished he could somehow be close to them and not want to rejoin the team. But he wasn’t sure if that was possible. So he’d pushed them away.

He’d decided to stay in the small town in Colorado where they’d been relocated with WITSEC. They’d continued to use their new identities, rather than explain to anyone there that they’d been hiding. It would be easier, Aaron had reasoned, to stay in the new life they’d built rather than try and reenter their old ones.

It had worked, for the most part. Aaron had devoted himself to being a good father first and above all else. His early retirement benefits from the FBI were generous enough that he didn’t have to find other work. So Jack became Aaron’s entire life.

That was great, at first. Together with a therapist they’d worked through Jack’s fears. Aaron volunteered at Jack’s school, his soccer team, and whatever other activities Jack showed interest in. They’d grown closer and Aaron had felt like he was making up time for all the years he’d barely been there for Jack. Jack loved it and soaked in the attention, for awhile.

But Jack was growing up. He would be fifteen later that year. He was at the point that he no longer wanted his father nearby constantly. He was becoming independent and prone to embarrassment if Aaron hovered too much. It was perfectly natural and healthy, and Aaron was glad his son felt like a normal teenager.

But it meant that lately Aaron had found himself with less and less to do to occupy his own time. He’d gotten back into running, trained and ran a few marathons. He’d started collecting coins again and gotten a part time job at an antiques store. But he still found he had more time than he knew what to do with.

So Aaron had started dating again. He’d even admitted he was bi, and for the first time in his life he’d had a serious relationship with a man. Jack had been nothing but supportive. Brian had seemed like a good man and Aaron devoted himself to the relationship. Aaron had thought things were going well between them…until they weren’t.

Aaron had discovered Brian had been cheating on him. When Aaron confronted him about it, Brian laid the blame on Aaron. He’d said that Aaron was clingy and a complete bore. It had been a deflection, obviously, to lessen Brian’s own guilt. But it had still hurt. It had still reminded Aaron painfully of Haley and their failed marriage. It still made Aaron feel like no matter what he did, his romantic relationships failed.

Haley, and to a lesser extent Beth, had both left when Aaron hadn’t been willing to sacrifice his career for them. With Brian, Aaron had had no career to keep them apart. But still it hadn’t been enough for Brian. Aaron, with his career, was too busy, distant, and distracted. Aaron, without his career, was too clingy, boring, and dull. Aaron wondered if he’d ever find someone that he was enough for.

“I know you’re lonely,” Jack spoke as if able to tell what his dad had been thinking about. “I know you miss your team. I know you were closer to them than anyone you’ve met while we’ve been here. And I know it’s driving you crazy being here.

“I know you won’t admit that,” Jack hurried to add. “Would it be easier if I admit that being here has been driving me crazy too?”

Aaron narrowed his eyes slightly at his son. This seemed so out of the blue that Aaron had trouble believing it.

“I mean, not at first,” Jack explained. “At first I loved how quiet it is here, how much time we have together. It was great to be able to relax and everything. But…

“The truth is, Dad, that I’ve been wanting to ask you something for awhile…”

Jack trailed off, looking unsure if he should go on.

“You can ask me anything, you know that,” Aaron reassured him.

Aaron wasn’t sure where this was going, but he was always ready to listen to his son.

“I want to move back to DC,” Jack admitted. “I’ll be starting high school in the fall and I’d really like that to be back in my old school district, with my old friends. I’ve kept in touch with them, you know, since we’ve been allowed. My friends here…they’re fine and all…but I’ve never felt as close to them as my friends back home. Home…I still think of DC as home, Dad.

“There’s nothing _wrong_ with this place, with this life, but…but somehow it’s never felt _real_,” Jack continued. “We’ve been here for three years and it still doesn’t feel like home. It still feels like we’re running, hiding, like this is an extended vacation from reality. And that was great for awhile, but I’m ready for it to end.

“You know the high school back there is better than here. The academics are better, the soccer team is better, everything about it is better,” Jack continued, trying to sell the idea. “It would be better for my college applications to be back there. I could finish out this school year here and we could move during summer. Please, at least consider it, Dad.”

Aaron found himself at a loss for words. He’d had no idea that Jack had been considering this or that Jack had been unhappy. As soon as he’d realized what Jack was saying, Aaron had fallen back into profiling, almost unconsciously. He would never consider this if Jack was saying it just because he thought _Aaron_ would be happier back in DC. So Aaron listened and watched his son closely. Jack was telling the truth, Aaron decided. Jack really wanted this, for himself.

“I’ll have to think about it,” Aaron responded. “We’ll have to talk about it more. But yes, I’ll consider it.”

Jack smiled widely and the sight warmed Aaron’s heart as it always did.

“And about your promise…” Jack continued with some hesitation, “I think, even if I told you that I would be ok with you rejoining the BAU, you wouldn’t accept that. And to be honest, I’m _not_ entirely ok with the idea. The thought does still scare me.

“But I know you need more than what you have here. You’re an amazing father and I love you, but I know you deserve to be more than that. You could consult maybe, but not travel with the team. Or you could be a prosecutor again. You could work with them that way; making sure the people they catch get what they deserve.”

Hearing that, Aaron was filled with pride for his son. Jack was a caring, empathetic, intelligent young man. But it also made Aaron feel like a bit of a failure.

“That would still be going back toward what I promised to stay away from. Morgan’s managed to stay away. He visits the team and he hasn’t been tempted to get involved again in any capacity.” Aaron scowled at the thought that Morgan had succeeded where Aaron had failed.

“You don’t know that he hasn’t been tempted,” Jack countered. “And besides, his son is like three years old! I’m going to be in high school! It’s not the same!

“Besides, you don’t_ know_ how much you’ll be tempted until you actually visit them!” Jack pointed out. “That’s why I think you should go to Dave’s wedding! You’ve never even seen any of them since you haven’t been a part of the BAU. It’ll be your first time seeing them as just friends. And they _are _still your friends, Dad, no matter how much you’ve limited contact. I think seeing them again will do you good. I know_ I_ miss them!”

“The wedding is only for people over 21, since it’s an open bar,” Aaron cautioned, “It’s not all ages like JJ’s was.”

“Ok, that’s no big deal. I can see them afterward. It’s on a Saturday and we have the following Monday off school for an in-service. I can stay with Aunt Jess while you’re at the wedding. I miss her, too. It’s been over six months since she visited.”

Jessica was the only person from their old life Aaron had allowed to visit, and it was rare she had the time to make the trip. Aaron had never taken Jack to visit her, so it was unfair she was the one always traveling. Aaron knew that.

Aaron found himself nodding in agreement before he’d made a conscience choice to go. Jack knew how to convince his father. Once Aaron knew that Jack was missing everyone in DC, it was no longer just about Aaron.

He’d stayed in Colorado for Jack. He’d tried to build a life there for Jack. If Jack was honestly telling him that wasn’t working anymore, then Aaron would try to do what was best for his son. If that led Aaron back toward his old team, then he would just have to try harder to find a better balance.

Jack’s suggestions about getting involved with the BAU in a more limited role were good ones, despite Aaron’s initial hesitation to consider them. Aaron had actually already been thinking about getting back into practicing law. He’d thought about maybe doing some local pro-bono work just to keep himself busy once Jack entered high school. That was a far cry from becoming a full time prosecutor again. But now that he was considering it, Aaron found himself relishing the idea of the challenge that would be.

“Alright. Alright,” Aaron conceded. “I’ll RSVP that I’ll be attending the wedding. I’ll call Jess and make sure she’ll be free that weekend. We should also schedule a visit to the high school to make sure it’s everything you think it is. Then, if everything goes well, I’ll _consider_ our moving back there before fall.”

Jack’s smile was wide enough to split his face, and Aaron found himself smiling back. Aaron hadn’t realized how truly lacking his life was until that moment. He’d known he was bored from time to time, but he’d convinced himself he was content enough. Now, the prospect of returning to DC seemed full of possibility and hope.

\-------------------

At the wedding, everyone was happy to see him. Aaron hadn’t really doubted that they would be. But he hadn’t expected the level of pure acceptance and love that he received from every single member of his old team.

He’d worried he’d been too harsh in pushing them away. He’d worried they’d resent his having been gone for so long. But they all understood. Of course they did. Aaron felt bad for doubting them. They were all incredibly intelligent and perceptive, and they all knew him well. Despite how closed off he’d been when he worked with them, they still knew him better than anyone he’d tried to be open with since he’d left.

He’d been through hell and back with these people, and they understood what that was like. They forgave him his failings and they welcomed him back with open arms. There were warm handshakes, and tight hugs, and tears in many eyes. Aaron couldn’t say how much that meant to him. He felt like he was back among true friends for the first time in years.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful. Dave looked happier than Aaron had ever seen him before. Despite this being Dave’s fourth try at marriage, Aaron thought this one might just be the one that truly lasted. Both Dave and Krystall were more mature, more experienced, more ready to commit than they had been when they’d done this before. Aaron was happy for them.

It also drove home Aaron’s own loneliness. It brought back memories of Aaron and Haley’s wedding. Those memories felt bittersweet now, with how it had ended. But they’d both been in love and happy at the time, no matter what had come later. So Aaron tried to look back on it fondly, then he brushed it aside.

It was time to look to the future, he thought. He had Jack, and Jack would soon be entering an exciting new chapter in his life. High school was a big change, and Aaron planned to be there for him every step of the way. But it was time to admit that no matter how much he loved Jack, and still intended to make him his first priority, that Aaron needed more in his life.

Aaron resolved to work toward finding his own happiness. He wasn’t sure where exactly that might lead. But he’d hidden from it long enough. It was time to admit that sitting at home, or polishing coins at the antique store, or even running a marathon, wasn’t enough for him.

Looking around at these people, Aaron knew he belonged with them. He couldn’t keep cutting himself off from them. He would likely never rejoin the BAU, no matter how much he was tempted. But being among them again made him realize that was _ok_. Even if he never worked with them again, these people were still his team. And by team, he meant_ family_.

Aaron found himself enjoying every moment of the reception, no matter who he was talking to. He answered the same questions many times, such as how Jack was doing, but he never minded. He asked about children in turn and was shown photos of JJ’s boys, and Morgan’s son, and Matt’s kids. He said hello to Joy, and met Dave’s new step daughter.

He admitted he was bored of small town life and was considering moving back to DC. He hadn’t planned to let that slip so soon. But he’d found he didn’t want to hold it back. Everyone was warm and encouraging.

Eventually conversation waned and Aaron found himself at the bar alone. Reid stood a short distance away, but not close enough that Aaron felt comfortable bridging the gap. They’d talked some already; the same sort of getting caught up and small talk as everyone else. Now Reid looked like he needed a moment alone.

So Aaron took a moment to just study Reid. He looked different, of course he did. It’d been years. Everyone had changed. But Aaron especially noticed it with Reid. His hair was wilder than Aaron had seen it before and he’d let more stubble grown on his face than he used to. But it was more than just physical appearance. The way Reid held himself was different.

Aaron had watched as Reid slowly gained self confidence during their years together at the BAU. He’d watched as his awkwardness faded and he grew into his role with the team. But this was more than that. Reid seemed calmer, more at ease than Aaron had ever seen him. Reid seemed more comfortable in his own skin than he ever had before. He seemed self assured in a new way; as if he knew that no matter what life threw at him, he could survive it. It hit Aaron then what Spencer looked like; he looked like a survivor.

Aaron wished Reid hadn’t had to earn that confidence at so high a price. He wished he could have been there for Reid more. It especially irked Aaron that Reid had gone through time in prison without Aaron there to help. It was arrogant pride, Aaron knew that, but he fully believed he could have helped more than anyone else did. He still had friends in the justice department. People still owed him favors. He could have gotten Reid out sooner. _A lot_ sooner. Maybe three days instead of three months.

But he’d been fully entrenched in WITSEC then, with no contact allowed. He hadn’t known anything about it until it was all over. So Reid had suffered. But he’d survived. He was strong. He’d always been strong. But his slouch was gone. Now there was the look of real steel in his spine.

Aaron found himself unable to look away from Reid. His eyes were drawn to the younger man. Even when JJ appeared and started to talk to Reid, Aaron couldn’t manage to look away. He could hear their conversation and knew he should politely move so as to not eavesdrop. But he stayed rooted to the spot, listening, despite himself.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you before,” JJ was saying. “I hope you understood what I meant. I needed something to get his attention; nothing else was working, so I tried a love declaration. And I _do_ love you, Spence, so it wasn’t a lie for him to catch! It’s just…”

“You love me like family, like a brother, like a best friend,” Reid supplied. “I know. It’s alright. It was his assumption that you meant romantic love, and it worked well to distract him. I knew you didn’t mean it that way. I know there are many kinds of love. I treasure what we have, JJ. Just because it isn’t romantic doesn’t mean it’s less. The idea that romantic love is somehow more important than familial love isn’t a cultural norm I ascribe to. I’m happy our relationship is exactly as it is. So you have nothing to worry about. We’re good.”

JJ visibly relaxed, clearly relieved. They were obviously talking about a case and an unsub that Aaron didn’t know the details of. But he still got the gist of what’d happened.

“Since when have you carried a backup gun in an ankle holster anyway?” JJ asked, changing the subject.

“Since around when I got out of prison,” Reid answered.

Aaron felt a mixture of sympathy and pride. Sympathy because he again wished Reid hadn’t had to go through being in prison; and pride because Reid was following the example Aaron had set of using an ankle holster.

JJ left to watch the cake being cut, leaving Reid and Aaron alone at the bar. Aaron mentally debated whether to move closer and initiate conversation, or go find a spot to watch Dave and Krystall shove cake into each other’s faces. Reid decided for him, approaching Aaron.

“You heard all that, huh?” Reid asked by way of greeting.

Aaron winched slightly. He was really out of practice maintaining a game face if Reid had read that in his expression so easily.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have listened, but I just…I have no excuse,” Aaron admitted lamely.

“It’s alright, Hotch, it’s not a secret,” Reid assured him. “Everyone knows JJ has never seen me as a romantic prospect. I’m ok with that.”

“_Are_ you? I know you used to have a crush on her. You tried to ask her out a few times, as I remember.”

“Yeah, _years_ ago! Like _fourteen_ years, 89 days, and 13 hours ago! I got over it a long time ago,” Reid laughed slightly. “I barely knew her then! Being on this team back then was my first real experience with being close to people that actually respected me, listened to me, and valued me as an equal rather than a threat or freak. I didn’t know what to make of it. I wasn’t prepared for it socially or emotionally. So I developed crushes on practically _everyone_ on the team, even _you_!”

Aaron blinked in pure shock. He struggled to maintain a neutral expression and suspected he was failing miserably.

“Are you, are you _serious_?! _Me_?!” Aaron stuttered. “I didn’t even know you were bi!”

“I’ve never really mentioned it to the team.” Reid shrugged nonchalantly. “I was weird enough as it was. There was no reason to add to it by announcing I’m attracted to both genders. There is a distinct lack of out LGBTQ people at the FBI, you know.

“And yes, _you_,” Reid admitted. “Is that so hard to believe? You’re a very attractive man. You’re intelligent and insightful, skilled and fearless. You always respected me and listened to me. You let me ramble more than most people do. You rarely seemed to find me annoying. You gave me room to grow and learn. You gave me more leeway than a person in your position was required to. And occasionally you let show you have a wicked sense of humor I enjoyed.

“But of course you were married, and my boss, and entirely out of bounds. Doesn’t mean I couldn’t develop feelings regardless. I just couldn’t act on them.”

Aaron opened his mouth, knowing he should say something in response to that. But he found himself at a complete lose for words.

“And now I’ve made it horribly awkward,” Reid laughed in a self depreciating way. “We can just ignore this entirely and talk about your possible plans for moving back here?”

“Or…we could make it possibly less awkward by my admitting I had a crush on you, too?” Aaron offered in a voice barely above a whisper.

“What?!” Reid choked on air, and then swallowed rapidly a few times.

Aaron regretted it as soon as the words had left his mouth. But it was out now, he couldn’t take it back. And what did it matter now? It wasn’t like they had to work together anymore. May as well just get it _all_ out.

“I always thought you were cute,” Aaron admitted. “Gorgeous really, and brilliant, and fascinating, with a good heart and endless courage. I didn’t let myself do anything more than notice that in passing while I was married. After the divorce…I…I noticed it a lot more.

“I found myself contemplating a lot of _‘what if’s’_ in regards to you. What if I wasn’t your boss; what if I wasn’t so much older than you; what if I was out and you weren’t straight…but of course nothing was possible. Nothing besides some fantasies at night with my own right hand.”

Reid’s mouth hung open in obvious shock. He didn’t seem to be even trying to hide his reaction.

“Now who’s ended up making it more awkward?” Aaron chuckled darkly.

“You’re not my boss anymore. I don’t care about the age difference. We both seem to be outing ourselves at the moment. And that’s not awkward, that’s _hot as hell_. If you actually mean it, of course. If this isn’t some huge prank that Morgan put you up to?”

Reid’s eyes were wide and his hands were suddenly fidgeting with the buttons on his jacket. Aaron tracked the movement; the first visible sign of nerves Reid had shown all night. It was some consolation that familiar gesture wasn’t gone. Aaron considered playing it safe and shutting up. But he’d gotten this far. He wasn’t going to wimp out now.

“Not a joke. I’d never joke about something like this. And I adore your hands, by the way. How long your fingers are, how elegant they look. The way you move them, how much you articulate with your gestures, the enthusiasm and passion that shows.”

Aaron stared straight at Reid, trying to relay his sincerity with his eyes. He knew people often mocked Reid for his hand gestures. Aaron often had to hold himself back from snapping at people for that. Aaron had always been attracted to the way Reid moved his hands. Reid stared back at Aaron, blinking rapidly, as if trying to absorb and process this information. Aaron let him take his time.

“I like your hands too, actually,” Reid admitted. “I like how much bigger than mine they are, how strong they are. I like to think of you wrapping them around my wrists and holding me down. I like the hair on the backs. That sounds weird, but it’s true. I want to lick the hair on your hands. That’s definitely weird considering how for so long I could barely shake hands with anyone. But attraction has a way of pushing aside all that. You know hand fetishes often mean the person wants those hands inside them. I mean, not in a cannibalism way, of course. A sexual foreplay way. And I do. I want your fingers in my mouth and…other places that are not appropriate to mention in this setting. Come to think of it, this entire conversation is probably not appropriate for this setting so I should stop talking about it now.”

Aaron was smirking in a way he thought might be described as wicked. Reid licked his lips and swallowed rapidly a few times again. But he held Aaron’s gaze. He wasn’t running or shying away from this. So neither would Aaron.

But how to proceed? Well, they _were_ at a wedding, Aaron reminded himself. It might not be the best place for long conversations about what exactly they were both looking for in a relationship, sexually intimate or otherwise. But it was a perfect place for certain other things. And a romantic song just so happened to be currently playing.

“Dance with me, Spencer?” Aaron asked, offering his hand to the other man.

Aaron had made a conscience decision to switch to saying _Spencer_ rather than Reid. He found he liked the sound of the name on his lips.

Spencer gave him a small smile, and then took Aaron’s hand. They moved together to the dance floor.

Their dance mostly consisted of swaying together along with the music, but that was enough. Spencer’s hands were on Aaron’s shoulders, while Aaron rested his hands on Spencer’s hips. Aaron found himself rubbing his thumbs gently against Spencer’s waistband, willing himself to not search for skin or move to squeeze Spencer’s ass. They were still at Dave’s wedding and he knew neither of them wanted to make a spectacle of themselves.

Spencer seemed to be having a similar problem, as his hands kept wandering toward Aaron’s neck and the back of his head. He seemed to want to get his fingers in Aaron’s hair, but was resisting. Aaron knew the feeling. He’d been longing to drag his fingers through Spencer’s unkempt curls for years.

But they could, and should, wait. So far no one had blinked an eye at Aaron and Spencer dancing together. Everyone had been dancing with everyone else all night, as friends. But if they did anything too obvious, they might cause a scene. And this night was for Dave and Krystall. So some distraction was in order, Aaron thought.

“I binge watched Doctor Who recently, by the way,” Aaron casually mentioned.

“What?! Why now?!” Spencer laughed loudly. “I tried to get _anyone_ on the team to watch that for ages!! The only one ever interested was Garcia, and she’d already been a fan.”

“I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands.” Aaron shrugged. “And I remembered how much you loved it. So I gave it a shot. The recent stuff anyway. Doctors 9 through 13. Took me awhile to get used to the nonsensical tone and British humor, but I ended up really enjoying it.”

“That’s astounding.” Spencer shook his head and smiled. “I thought there was no way for you to possibly be any more attractive to me, but you just disproved that theory.”

Aaron smiled back and the two of them continued to dance together. The next song was slower, and Aaron was having more difficulty keeping up any semblance of platonic interest in the man he was dancing with.

“I really want to kiss you right now, Spencer,” Aaron admitted in a whisper. “But I don’t know if you’re ready for us both to be out to the team. And maybe we should talk more about where this is going, and what we’re both looking for, before we make it public knowledge. And this is Dave’s wedding, and I don’t think it’s polite to take the spotlight away from him and Krystall. But I still want to kiss you. What do you think?”

“I think Dave and Krystall will forgive us,” Spencer answered. “Kiss me, _Aaron_.”

So Aaron did.

He loved the sound of his name on Spencer’s lips. But he loved the feel of Spencer’s lips against his own even more. Aaron was ready to keep it a chaste kiss, a simple meeting of lips, to save more for later. But while Spencer had let Aaron lead during the dancing, Spencer look the lead for this kiss. Spencer’s tongue was in Aaron’s mouth before Aaron had realized he’d opened it. Not to be outdone, Aaron ran his teeth along Spencer’s lower lip, not hard enough to bite, but enough to get his attention.

By the time the two of them parted for air and looked around, everyone was staring. Spencer blushed adorably and Aaron felt heat rise to his own cheeks. But he couldn’t stop grinning and he refused to be ashamed.

“Whoohoo, yes!! I don’t understand it, but I love it!!!” Garcia yelled; the first to speak. “Congrats Big Brain and ex-Bossman! I love your love!!”

She started clapping and everyone followed her lead. Most likely because they were too shocked and confused to do anything else. But Aaron suspected he saw a knowing twinkle in Dave’s eyes. If anyone could have predicted this might happen, it would have to be him.

Aaron and Spencer were both laughing, and Aaron decided they’d put on enough of a show. He took Spencer’s hand and led him off the dance floor to a table.

Emily took that chance to propose a toast, tactfully drawing attention away from the newly ousted couple and back to the wedding couple.

“Brigitte Nicole said, _You’ll know when a relationship is right for you. It will enhance your life, not complicate your life._” Emily quoted, continuing, “And Leo Tolstoy said, _The two most powerful warriors are patience and time._

“When these two first met, the time wasn’t right. But they were patient, and time brought them together again. Now, the time is right for them to really begin their life together. I know it will be full of understanding, patience, support, and most of all, love.”

All the guests raised their glasses in approval, clinked them together, and then drank to the happy couple. It was a fitting toast for Dave and Krystall.

Staring into Spencer’s eyes, Aaron thought it might fit the two of them quite well, too.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into writing for this fandom, so I hope it’s enjoyed! Comments and kudos always appreciated!! I’m on tumblr [@slimysuckers](http://slimysuckers.tumblr.com/)


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